Background: I am a road cyclist and have been for years but when a kid like many had a dragster and tore around the local bush etc.

Now I have kids and my daughter has got a mountain bike and is loving riding some fire trails etc. She is keen for me to go out with her (she is only 10) and I must admit I have been looking for an excuse to get a mountain bike for quite a while.

Now my first passion is road and that is unlikely to change. However I do like the idea of doing some fire trails / single tacks in the area with my daughter. Also have some friends who do some mountain biking and they have invited me out with them (they are not super hard core, just enjoy the roll).

Now I don't want to spend a bucket on this bike but want something that wont frustrate me either. If I really get into it happy to upgrade in a year or two, if not I want a general purpose bike that has lots of potential uses.

I stand just over 6 foot so thinking a 29er (both for my size and my road bike background).

This looks a pretty good bang for your buck, anyone got any comments? Anything that I may not pick up on not having a mountain bike background that raises a red flag to anyone?

(been looking 2nd hand but can only find either 2nd hand k-mart crap or high end stuff at $1000+ that is about double my budget). It seems about $300 cheaper than the equivalent at LBS (there are cheaper ones at LBS but don't seem as well spec'd).

I notice they've dropped the spec level a lot for this version. Previous version was a $899 but much better specced. The biggest issue I see is that fire trails have a habit for getting quite steep and a low gear of 29x32 is pretty high for a 29er. I'd prefer to spend the extra on something like this one which gives you a triple front crank and a low gear of 22x34. I just picked the first one that came up on bike exchange but I know my local bikehub has the same deal. By the time you factor in a years free servicing, local support and lack of freight cost (unless you're picking up from Cell?) it could potentially work out as the cheaper option as well. If the free helmet suits your head then it'd be a nice bonus to be able to take it off road and save your road helmet from the dirt.

You could do quite well second hand for that money, especially in this slightly-depressed market.

The Cell has similar specs to a Mongoose Amasa Comp I had. Not a world beater, but got me onto trails for a few good runs. Upgraded a few parts over the 12 months I had it. I put slicks on it and commuted a couple times, too. Didn't use it enough, and sold it for almost what I paid for it.

You'll probably upgrade the cranks first, and get rid of the (what look like) stamped chainrings.

Thanks guys, have been looking on the 2nd hand market for over a month now and nothing in that price range. Either < $200 and junk or >$1000 and not what am am willing to pay.

I have found a local supplier of that Malvern Star and will go and look at it this week. Don't care so much about the servicing, done all my own servicing for a few years - might have to learn how to service hydraulic brakes but.